Life for all animals, including humans, would be simpler if diseases had a sign saying “beware!” with flashing lights and blaring alarms. Instead, we humans have developed an emotional reaction called disgust. Do other animals share similar protective mechanisms? While fear and predator avoidance have captured much attention in the field of animal behavior, in comparison, little have been published regarding avoidance of disease. An international team of scientists has now set up a framework to test disgust and its associated disease avoidance behaviors across various animal species, social systems, and habitats. “Over 30 species have been reported to exhibit…
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Photography by Getty Images This year’s gala, honouring the late Karl Lagerfeld, gave us beauty looks that were equal parts classic and experimental. By Souzan Michael Galway Date May 1, 2023 Talk about a Met Gala to remember. From Rita Ora’s foot-long nail chains (the coolest, albeit most impractical, nail trend ever?) to Naomi Campbell giving signature Naomi at her 16th (!!!) Met Gala, to Emma Chamberlain’s blue smoky eye and extra-long extensions, the Met Gala 2023 beauty looks did not disappoint. This year’s gala, honouring the late Karl Lagerfeld, gave us equal parts classic and understated (think Irina Shayk,…
A Russian lawmaker on Wednesday urged state institutions to stop using WhatsApp messenger and the industry ministry sought to promote domestically produced software as Russia tries to wean itself off Western technology.WhatsApp owner Meta Platforms was found guilty of “extremist activity” in Russia in March and later added to financial monitoring agency Rosfinmonitoring’s list of “terrorists and extremists”. Meta’s lawyer in court has said Meta was not carrying out extremist activity and was against Russophobia.Russia blocked Meta’s Facebook and Instagram in March, objecting to restrictions on Russian media and some posts permitted by users in Ukraine.Widely used among Russians, WhatsApp…
Sophomore slump? No way! On April 16, 1996, Rage Against the Machine solidified their status as one of rock’s most vital, influential and important acts of their generation with the release of their Evil Empire album.There had been rumors of tensions within the band concerning the album, which arrived nearly four years after their self-titled debut disc. But when quizzed about the delay, guitarist Tom Morello told Kerrang, “Different band members have their different interests that they’ve been pursuing, but principally, the main reason for the delay between records was trying to find the right combination of our very diverse influences…
Another member of the original Avengers team is riding off into the sunset.In a recent interview, Scarlett Johansson announced that she is “done” playing Marvel’s super-spy, Black Widow. While this isn’t the most shocking news — Johansson’s character died while saving half the universe in Avengers: Endgame — it also wasn’t a foregone conclusion that Johansson was definitely finished as Black Widow. She only made her debut headlining her own solo Black Widow film after her character died. (The Black Widow movie was a prequel.)But Johansson told her Marvel co-star Gwyneth Paltrow that she’s moving on from her superhero role in an episode of The Goop Podcast. Johansson…
What’s the story behind the story? What inspired you to write Disunion: The Mantiz Gambit? I was doing some reading on the U.S. Civil War, and I imagined what that might be like, and how it might turn out, if it had happened in space rather than on a continent. What’s your favorite genre to read? Is it the same as your favorite genre to write? As a reader, I enjoy science fiction, suspense, fantasy, and general action stories. As I writer, I enjoy sci-fi and action very much! What books are on your TBR pile right now? That pile…
It was Deidre Hall’s 5000th episode! Our TV Fanatics, Jack and Christine, are joined by Horizon from MyHourglass, a Days of Our Lives fan forum, to share their favorite Marlena moments, if Maggie was right to fire Alex, and whether Nicole should tell EJ or Eric she’s pregnant? And which was the lamest story of the week in Salem? Read on to find out… It was Deidre Hall’s 5000th episode! Do you have a favorite storyline with Dr. Marlena Evans? Horizon: Deidre Hall is the first person I remember when I started watching the show back in the 1970s. Yikes.…
More than three years after the COVID-causing virus first infected humans, possibly via a wild animal sold at a market in Wuhan, China, little has been done to prevent a similar event from happening in the future. Millions of people around the world consume bushmeat, or meat from wild animals—such as the raccoon dogs reported to have been sold at the Wuhan market—that has minimal regulation or monitoring. But now researchers have published a detailed database that maps and predicts the intensity of bushmeat consumption around the world based on factors that include population density, diversity of animal species and…
Over the years, I’ve learned that this particular ensemble needs to meet a strict list of criteria. Firstly, and most importantly, it must be comfortable. That one is a non-negotiable. No rigid jeans or wobbly wedges allowed. It’s also crucial to keep two climates in mind when assembling your outfit; the one you’re leaving and the one you’re arriving into.Of course, the criteria changes depending on the mode of transport and the destination, so I’ve put together four different looks with a variety of circumstances in mind. Whether you’re joining me on the Cote d’Azur or staying in the UK for a relaxing staycation, you’ll find a suitable travel…
Daniel Hickey, a visiting scholar at the USC’s Information Sciences Institute and coauthor of the paper, says that Twitter’s lack of transparency makes it hard to assess whether there was simply more hate speech on the platform, or whether the company made substantive changes to its policies after Musk’s takeover. “It is quite difficult to disentangle often because Twitter is not going to be fully transparent about these types of things,” he says.That lack of transparency is likely to get worse. Twitter announced in February that it would no longer allow free access to its AP—the tool that allows academics and…
Aerosmith have revealed dates to their 2023-2024 “Peace Out” farewell tour, and tickets to their final, 40-city North American excursion are quickly going up for grabs (get them here). “It’s not goodbye it’s PEACE OUT!” the band shared in a statement. “Get ready and walk this way, you’re going to get the best show of our lives.” The group added that original drummer Joey Kramer would not be able to attend in order “to focus his full attention on his family and health. Joey’s unmistakable and legendary presence behind the drum kit will be sorely missed.” Read on for the…
In a video posted to his Twitter account, actor and standup comedy legend Richard Lewis revealed that he is retiring from touring — and that he had been diagnosed a few years ago with Parkinson’s disease.In a bit of good news, Lewis was able to participate in the 12th (and rumored to be final) season of the long-running HBO comedy series Curb Your Enthusiasm, where he plays a loosely fictionalized version of himself. (Lewis was publicly devastated when surgery forced him not to participate in Series 11 of the show.)“I just wrapped a couple of weeks ago season 12 of ‘Curb Your Enthusiasm’…
Books & Looks: Real Books for Real Readers was started as a podcast to supplement Blaine Desantis’ website, ViewsOnBooks.com, and expand into audio interviews with authors. With Books & Looks, Blaine’s goal is to focus on real books that real people will read. At least half of the books he reviews are either new authors or unknown authors that many in the general public are unaware of. After a segment reviewing books or interviewing authors, Blaine ends each episode with a discussion of the movies and TV shows he is currently watching. This Week’s Episode Today we are joined by Faith Matson from…
UPDATE: It’s official. S.W.A.T. has been picked up for a seventh — and final — season at CBS. “We have listened to our viewers and their outpouring of passion for S.W.A.T. and we have reached an agreement to renew it for a final season of 13 episodes to air during the 2023-2024 broadcast year,” Amy Reisenbach, President, CBS Entertainment, and Katherine Pope, President, Sony Pictures Television Studios, said in a joint statement. “S.W.A.T. has aired for six seasons on CBS and garnered a devoted following. We are pleased that we found a way to bring it back and give closure…
Unlocking the secrets of magnetic materials requires the right illumination. Magnetic x-ray circular dichroism makes it possible to decode magnetic order in nanostructures and to assign it to different layers or chemical elements. Researchers at the Max Born Institute in Berlin have succeeded in implementing this unique measurement technique in the soft-x-ray range in a laser laboratory. With this development, many technologically relevant questions can now be investigated outside of scientific large-scale facilities for the first time. Magnetic nanostructures have long been part of our everyday life, e.g., in the form of fast and compact data storage devices or highly…
Chemotherapy treatments produce strong side effects. A new agent that accumulates in the tumour tissue and is activated there by ultrasound waves does not have this problem. Platinum complexes are among the most commonly used drugs against cancer. They are successful, but have severe side effects. An international research team led by Dr. Johannes Karges from the Faculty of Chemistry and Biochemistry at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, has developed a complex that accumulates in tumour tissue and is activated there by ultrasound waves. Its cell-damaging effect thus only unfolds where it is actually wanted. “Where previous studies relied on light…
Photography by Getty Images And more stars who lost their Met Ball v-card. By Annika Lautens Date May 1, 2023 Florence Pugh is having quite the week. On April 26, Valentino announced the actor as its newest ambassador. On April 28, she went viral for her new bob and bangs, which she revealed at the Tiffany Landmark opening in NYC. And on May 1, Florence Pugh made her Met Gala debut. It would appear that everything is coming up Florence. RELATED: Chanel Brides and Chic Cats Dominate the 2023 Met Gala Red Carpet The Little Woman star turned heads —…
The decision to limit the spread of nudity may have been affected in part by the potential future growth of Bluesky as it tries to move out of its beta phase and become a viable alternative to Twitter, according to Are, who believes Bluesky’s team could well be asking themselves questions like: “If we want to grow, and there’s a bunch of people complaining about seeing ass, will we grow if we keep allowing that?”In many ways, Bluesky is encountering—early on in its development—a fundamental question that every online platform or presence eventually has to answer. Sexual expression is a…
Lunice, the Montreal producer of TNGHT fame, has announced his new album Open. The follow-up to 2017’s CCCLX is out June 23 via LuckyMe. Along with the announcement, Lunince has shared the Cameron Morse–directed video for the new single “No Commas.” The track features Cali Cartier. Watch it below.“This track is the result of multiple natural occurrences where the melody, drums and vocal performance coincidentally fit with each other in the moment of creation without any prior motive behind it,” Lunice said in a statement. “I find these instinctual moments of creativity beautiful and inspiring.”After a hiatus, TNGHT returned in…
Sony Pictures has released the first Gran Turismo movie trailer and poster for the upcoming racing film. It is based on an incredible true story that saw a Gran Turismo video game player use his racing skills to become a professional racecar driver. It releases in theaters on August 11. “Based on the true story of Jann Mardenborough, the film is the ultimate wish fulfillment tale of a teenage Gran Turismo player whose gaming skills won a series of Nissan competitions to become an actual professional racecar driver,” reads the synopsis. Check out the Gran Turismo movie trailer below: The…
06 May 2023 5 Literary Fiction Books That Will Enrich Your Mind and Soul Are you a literary fiction lover looking for your next great read? Whether you’re in the mood for a classic or something new and fresh, there’s always a great book out there waiting for you. We’ve compiled a list of books that will satisfy any literary fiction lover’s craving for great writing, complex characters, and meaningful themes. Enjoy! Mediary by E.W. Johnson M.D. Release Date: March 29, 2023 What do a young girl on hospice care, an unemployed research scientist, a priest, a self-centered multi-millionaire, a…
CBS is preparing for its upfronts presentation on Wednesday by announcing the fate of two of its bubble dramas. East New York and True Lies have been canceled after their freshman seasons and will wrap up for good this month. The Amanda Warren-led East New York ends its run on May 14, while True Lies will follow on May 17. Out of the two, East New York was the only one that really had a chance at renewal. East New York is currently averaging 6.8 million viewers and a 0.6 rating in the demo with a week of DVR playback…
Open your favorite social media platform and note how many friends or followers you have. Specifically, note the first digit of this number. For example, if you have 400 friends, the leading digit is 4, and if you have 79, it’s 7. Let’s say we asked many people to do this. We might expect responses across the board, as common intuition suggests that friend counts should be somewhat random and therefore their leading digits should be too, treating 1 through 9 equally. Strangely, this is not what we would find. Instead, we would see a steep imbalance where nearly half…
Regardless of what year you came into this world, we can all learn a thing or two about style from our wiser fashion counterparts. These are the women who have lived to see generations worth of trends come and go and who have spent the better half of a lifetime honing in on what they can now claim as a strong sense of personal style. Since this group of women offers a wealth of knowledge, I was curious to know what kind of style lessons they can teach the rest of us, especially when it comes to a topic as timeless as denim.I spoke with two of…
Xbox Game Pass is one of the few subscriptions I’ve kept around while other services got the chop. The $15 monthly fee for Xbox Game Pass Ultimate feels worth it because I get to choose from over 100 titles and regularly download new additions. In a year, the cost breaks down to about the price of three AAA games.An Xbox Game Pass Ultimate subscription comes with access to EA Play and Xbox Live Gold. If you’re not interested in online multiplayer games, Microsoft offers a more budget-friendly tier that costs $10 a month. For gamers not on Xbox, PC Game…
Fontaines D.C.’s frontman, Grian Chatten, has announced his first solo album: Chaos for the Fly comes out on June 30 via Partisan. The full-length includes Chatten’s recent single “The Score” and a new song called “Fairlies.” Find the music video for the latter track below.Chatten co-produced Chaos for the Fly with Fontaines D.C.’s go-to producer Dan Carey. “A lot of the album was written with just me and a guitar and I really like the idea of it being boiled down to those elements,” Chatten said in a press statement. “That feeling of having the song in the palm of…
The final episode of The Mandalorian Season 3 felt at times like the last episode of the show ever. Din Djarin formally adopted Grogu as his son, and the pair settled into a new home on the frontiers of Nevarro. Din and Grogu also left their Mandalorian covert and the former accepted a gig freelancing for the New Republic, working as a sort of mercenary bounty hunting good-guy.If we never saw Din and Grogu again, that would be a fairly satisfying end to their story. But nothing in Star Wars ever truly ends, does it? And series creator Jon Favreau has already said…
Nora Goes Off Script by Annabel Monaghan If you like Lifetime movies, holiday Hallmark movies and happy endings, Nora Goes Off Script is for you! What a treat to settle in on the couch and dive in to Nora’s life. She is a single mom who writes movie scripts for The Romance Channel and is enjoying a bit of success. Her latest work, based on the real breakup of her marriage, is being produced at The Tea House, the shed where she does all her writing, set in her backyard. The actors and crew are settling in on her property for a…
You’d think an hour about love would be more…cheerful? But this is 9-1-1, the series that excels in capturing the ups and downs of the human experience. So, just like in real life, not every proposal goes as planned, and maybe an unforeseen complication keeps you from getting to the church on time on the day of your wedding. 9-1-1 Season 6 Episode 17 was all about the many highs and lows of that little thing called love, and there were definitely some lows. For a penultimate episode, this one was uneventful in terms of setting us up for the…
Feeling like we have a degree of control makes us tolerate pain better. In the case of fibromyalgia, however, this simply doesn’t work. A study provides clues as to why. Fibromyalgia is a mysterious chronic pain disorder that is difficult to treat. Its causes are also still largely in the dark. A study conducted by the team at the Clinic for Psychosomatic Medicine and Psychotherapy at Ruhr University Bochum, Germany, provides evidence that certain brain areas involved in processing pain don’t function normally in fibromyalgia patients. In healthy people, they ensure that pain that we can control is easier to…